Improvement sn gardening implements



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

toeER W.1 ORTER, OE NASHUA, AND JAOOE- E. SPALDING, OE HUDSON, AssmNoRsTo' ROGER W. PORTER, OE NASEUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

vHWPR'OVEMENT 1 in GARDENING IMPLEMENTS.-

`Spetifcation forming paint of Letters Patent'No; 50,305, dated October 3, 1865.

To all .zr/tom it may concern;

Y Beit known that We, ROGER W'. PORTER, of N ashna, and JACOB FSPALDING, of Hudf son, i`n the county ot' Hillsborough and State ot'New Hampshire, have invented an Improved (jrnrdening implement; and we do hereby de.- clarc the salme to be fully described in thefo'l-k lowing speciication and represented inthe ac-4 coinpanying drawings, of .which- Figure l is a perspective vie-w of it with its teeth and blade in. j'iositions toenahleit tobe used either as a hoe or a rake. l Fig. 2 is another perspective view ot' it with its teeth arranged so as to enable the instrument to be employed as a fork. Fig; 3 is another perspective View ot' it so arranged as to enable theinstrum entto be employed either as a spade or a senti-le. l I y ln the said drawings, A denotes@l 4series of teeth arrainge'd together like those ot' a comb,A

a rake, or'a common fOrk,and bavingprojected from their common junction two arms, b I), to which is'aliixed a rectangular plate or blade, B, thewhole being formed' and arranged as represented. A sectoral projection, E, extending trom the middle ot' the said junction, has

there is a series of notches or holes made in the curved projectirl 'E at or near itscedge,

ysuch heilig for the purpose of receiving a leverlatch, F, jointed to the shank, and Working through it and into or through the projection E, the said latch consisting` ot' a pin, d, a lever, e, anda spring, f, arranged together and with respect to the shank as shown inthe drawings. lhe'said spring, by its action against.` the lever, serves to keep the pin d in place when it may be within any one'of the holes of the'proiection E. The pin extends from th'e lever and into the shank and the said projection, and may be moved ont of the projection by means of the-lever or by pressure made on y .the tail of the latter.

. The armsa a serve as guards for the hand ot the operator and as supports i'or the hand whilein the "act ot' pressing the instrument into the earth.

Theart'icle'so made can be used either as a spade, a cork, a hoe, `or a rake, the required preparation ot' it l'or either otsueh uses being easily seen yby inspection of the drawings.

The great utility and advantage of suchv an implement, particularly for light Work, cannot but be apparent to most, if not all, practica-l gardeners. y

What we' claim .as our invention, and desire.

to secure by .Letters Patent, is v 'lhe fork A, hoe B, projection E, latch F, and pin d, when these several parts lare arranged in relation to theshank C as and for the purpose specified. l ROGER W. PORTER.

JACOB F. SPALDING. Witnesses: 4

J As. W. LYNN, A. F. STEVENS. 

